1. The colors of fall. I could do without all the gray, but I love the gold and orange and red.

2. Breakfast for dinner. Even better when there are leftovers that you can eat the next morning, breakfast for breakfast.

3. Mostly healthy dogs. In the past week, we were treating Ringo for a suspected ear infection, and Sam banged up his knee and we had to start treating him for the same yeast infection he had on his lips that took so long to diagnose and fix six months ago. Then both dogs started sneezing and I was worried they might have kennel cough. I’m so grateful it was nothing more than a few sneezes, and that they are doing well with all the other stuff too.

my dogs like the rain just about as much as I do — which is not much

4. A happy anniversary, although we both had busy work days and then Eric had an evening webinar he had to do, leaving me to binge watch Netflix in my pjs on the couch with the dogs — not the worst date ever.

5. Some space to finally start working on my book. I’d like even more space, but for now I’ll take what I can get.

Bonus joy: texting with my brother, writing and coffee dates with friends, an advance copy of a friend’s new book, a puppy who’s grown up enough to take himself out to go potty in the morning, the Open Heart Project Sangha and the conversations we are having on Facebook.

Fog on the North Lone Pine Trail

1. Hiking with Eric and the dogs. I wrote a whole blog post about it later that same day. One thing I forgot to say then was at one point I asked Eric how far we’d gone, (he has an app on his phone that tracks your distance), and he said “3.14 miles.” I responded, “Pie!” It took him a second to get it, especially since at first he thought I’d said “Why?”

2. Teaching yoga. I subbed for my class at the gym again this morning, the class where normally I’m in the back corner of the room. It feels really good to teach, but I’m also very aware that I’ve had a very big year and I am in need of some downtime to really process all the changes, just like at the end of every yoga class there is savasana, a final relaxation pose in which you give your body a chance to assimilate all the movement, the previous poses, to rest and make a gentle transition into what comes next. I need that too.

3. Training with Ringo. We had our last session of “Smart Dog One” last night, and have a three week break before starting the next class. I really really really didn’t want to go last night, wanted to stay home on the couch, but I’m glad I did. Working with him in that setting, getting to ask lots of questions and try new stuff, helps me to feel like I can do this thing, have a full strength Cattle Dog and do right by him, while doing what’s right for me too. He’s entering that phase right now that all dogs do where he’s growing up, testing me, seeing what he can get away with, and that can be frustrating, but it’s also clear that he really loves to train, to work together.

4. How Eric makes me laugh. And how so often it isn’t because he’s trying necessarily. For example, there’s a recipe in my family for a casserole that we jokingly call “funeral casserole” because when there’s a potluck after a funeral, someone always brings it. Eric said to me the other night, “what’s this called again, Coffin Pie?” When I told him it was Funeral Casserole, we both were bent over laughing. To have moments like that together is best thing.

5. Parents who are still alive and still married to each other. My mom and dad’s 50th wedding anniversary is today. 50 years! Eric and I have a few more days before we reach 21, and I know how hard it can be. I’m really grateful that they are still around, still together. I hope they make each other laugh today.

Dad, being a Christmas Ham

Bonus Joy: pie and good conversation and laughter with Mary, Chelsey coming to my yoga class, a thumbs up from Mitch after this morning’s yoga class, orange flavored San Pellegrino, down blankets, breakfast burritos from La Luz, blue sky and golden leaves, mostly healthy dogs, doggy playcare, TV shows that make me laugh.